Heather Young, Venice Elementary, 2020 Teacher of the Year for Sarasota County Schools, reveals her core beliefs as an educator.
Three core beliefs fuel my passion for teaching and inspire messages that I want to convey as I have the honor of representing my profession as Sarasota County’s 2020 Teacher of the Year.
I believe that every child deserves a gifted education, that kids will give their best efforts when they know you support them, and that Sarasota County is an amazing place to teach and to learn. For me, these are intertwined.
For the first 21 of my 22 years as a teacher, I taught gifted students in elementary and middle school grades.
In that role, I was given the freedom to provide talented students with enrichment experiences to encourage creativity and empower them to become independent learners.
It was exciting to see students become more confident, solve problems, develop strategies and master challenging subjects.